Zach Johnson major wins: Exploring the Ryder Cup skipper's Major Championship winning outings

Zach Johnson is gearing up for the upcoming Ryder Cup in Rome as the 2022 US team skipper this September. However, his selection as the captain wasn't just a random pick, rather, it was because of his performance on the PGA Tour over the years.

The 47-year-old American is a two-time major champion. He won the Masters Tournament in 2007 defeating Retief Goosen, Rory Sabbatini, and the legendary Tiger Woods. Later on, in 2015, he defeated Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen in a playoff to win The Open Championship.

In 75 appearances across all four Major tournaments, Johnson has finished eight times in the top 10, excluding his two wins. In 17 outings in the PLAYERS Championship, which is often referred to as the unofficial fifth major, he had finished seven times in the top 25, including a tied second finish in the 2012 edition.

Playing on the PGA Tour for nearly two decades, Johnson registered 12 victories, with his first coming in 2004 at the BellSouth Classic.

Zach Johnson has been part of the US Ryder Cup team five times in his career. He was also the part of 2016 winning team and holds a record of 10-6-1 at the biennial event. His performance in each edition is as follows:

• 2006: 1-2-1
• 2010: 2-1-0
• 2012: 3-1-0
• 2014: 2-1-0
• 2016: 2-1-0

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Who is part of Zach Johnson's United States team for the 2023 Ryder Cup?

The defending champion, United States, will take on the European team in the 44th edition of the biennial event which is scheduled at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, Rome from September 29 to October 1.

On August 29, skipper Zach Johnson announced his six captain's picks for the 2023 Ryder Cup event at the PGA of America's headquarters in Frisco, Texas.

The list had the surprising name of Justin Thomas, who struggled this season and failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs. However, Johnson was confident of his comrade and praised his previous records.

The wild card pick had just one LIV golfer's name, i.e., Brooks Koepka. Although the 2023 PGA Championship winner slipped off the automatic selection after the BMW Championship, Johnson was pretty sure that everyone on the team wanted him.

Following are the players selected for the United States team for the upcoming 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome:

Automatic selection

1. Scottie Scheffler
2. Wyndham Clark
3. Brian Harman
4. Patrick Cantlay
5. Max Homa
6. Xander Schauffele

Captain's Pick

1. Brooks Koepka
2. Sam Burns
3. Rickie Fowler
4. Justin Thomas
5. Collin Morikawa
6. Jordan Spieth

It is pertinent to note that during the pre-selection conversation, the names of LIV Golfers included Talor Gooch, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, and Bryson DeChambeau as well. But it was just Brooks Koepka who received the green light for the 2023 Ryder Cup from US skipper Zach Johnson.

Meanwhile, Luke Donald's European team will not feature any player from the Saudi-backed league. He will announce the captain's pick and the final team on September 4.